Article-feeding mechanism.



A. M. AUGENSEN.

ARTICLE FEEDING MECHAMSM.

mmcumu HLED EH13, 1912.

1,1 38,588. Patented May 4, 1915.

zontal-and then tip ARTICLE-FEEDIN G MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

Application filed May 13, 19 i2. Serial No. 696,895.

To all whom it may concern it known that I, AUeUsr-M. AUcnNsEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Iaywood, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Article-Feeding Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to feeding devices for sanitary can bodies or similar articles.

The object of applicants invention is to provide may be easily attached to any of the common forms of can filling machines now in use,and which will automatically time the feeding of the sanitary can bodies to the filling machine, and which will tip the can bodies from a position where the can bodies have their axes in a horizontal line to a position where their axes extend in a vertical line.

he invention furthermore consists in the improvements in the parts and devices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown, described or claimed.

y improvements relate more particularly to devices for feeding what are commonly called flanged or sanitary cans to filling machines, that is,-cans having an open top and a laterally. extending seamin flange as distinguished from the solder hoi and cap cans. Although it has been customary in canning factories to use vertical, gravity feed chutes for conveying the hole and cap cans to the filling machines, since no diiliculty is experienced iirfeecliiig the same down the chute vertically .one on top of lowermost can by a suitable reciprocating slide, yet with the open top or sanitary flanged can it has hitherto been found impractical to use a gravity feed chute, since the flanges of the cans were likely. to be damaged or dented, thus preventing the formation of a perfect, and furthermore the open top sanitary'cans have a tendency to nest, which materially .interfereswith cutting out the bottom can from a stack. With my improvements, I feed the cans by gravity down a chute with the axes of the cans horior tilt the cans so that their axes assume a vertical position, one by one, just prior to the cans being pushed under the nozzles of the filling machines.

In the accompanying drawing formin a part of this specification, Figure l is a side a compact, simple structure which ,forms elevation of a structure embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, taken from the left as viewed in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal, sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and Fig. 4 1s a a somewhat enlarged scale, of the ratchet mechanism.

In the drawing, 10 denotes a framework or bracket which may be attached to any common form of can-filling machine, and the same is provided with a pair of vertically extending arms 11 and 12, at the top of which is mounted a shaft 13 having a star wheel 14; thereon, which is disposed over and preferably ccntrall y of the lower end of a gravity feed chute l5, and by the term chute it will be rmd'erstood that I mean any form of structure adapted to confine or guide or limit the path of travel of the articles being fed, and as shown in the drawings, this gravity feed chute is composed of a ydurality of bent iron bars 16, 16. This chute l5 terminates at and is secured to the bracket 10 and also secured to said bracket or frame is a vertical chute 17, the same being preferably in the form of a casinghaving a cylindrical member 18 provided with a cut-out portion 1:) on one side thereof, and having formed integrally therewith a track composed of two rails 20 and 21, which terminate at the circumference of the cylindrical portion 18 at one end and at the opposite end form the continuation of the lower side of the bottom of the vertical chute 15. Although the track is shown as composed of two separate rails, it will be umlcrstood that the same may be composed of a single piece having the edges thereof disposed in the same manner as the rails 20.:1nd 21. As more clearly shown in Fig. 2, the rail2l is progressively elevated above the rail 20 in a direction leading over the bracket to the cylindrical portion 18. Guard rails 22 and 23 also extend from the bracket 11 to the upper portion of the cylindrical mcn'ibcr 18 in order. to confine the can bodies 24 as the latter pass from the gravity feed chute to the vertical chute. The star wheel which a part of the timing mechanism for the can bodies or other articles is operated by means of a ratchet wheel 25 secured to the outer end of the shaft 13, spring controlled pawl 26 mounted on a lever 27, the

detail view upon I risinn in combination a latter bein loosely and rotatably mounted on the sha t l3 and adapted to be oscillated by means of an arm 28, formed integrall with a reciprocating slide member 29, mounted on the bracket 10, the slide 29 being operated by means of a pivotally connected link 30 and crank 31, said crank 33 having an arm 32 adapted to be reciprocated by any suitable means, such as a slide 33 opera ted by means of pitman 3t connect-cal to gear 5 which may he connected to any portion of the driving means of the. can filling machine. 7

In dotted lines in Fig. l is shown a slide 36. surh as is usually found in ronnection with can filling machines. onto which the. can bodies are adapted to drop through the vertical chute IT and which, as will he an dcrstood, is of *rated in unison wiih the star wheel or timing mechanism ahove. deseizhed. ln opeln-ition, the ran bodies feed don n the gravity chute .15 and are arrested by the, arms of the star wheel ll, which separates or spaces the can bodies suliiciently to prevent the same from jamming or inte fering with each other d :ring the tilting or ripping operation and allows the same to feed one by one to the. vertical chute 1?, anti, as the can bodies travel over the tracl: composed of the rails 20 and 21, the open erd of the cans which, as shown in Fig. 2, are on the right hand side. are tipped up by the rail 21, and just as the bottom of the. cans reach the cylindrical portion 18, the can lddies will he tipped up to a vertical position and will drop through the chute onto tle slide 36. As will be a arent to those slillcd in the art. many clninpes may he made in the details of my im n'oveincnts without departing from the. piritof the invention, and all such changes and variations are con emplated as fall within the. scope of the claims appended hereto. l clai1n:-

l A feeding device for can. bodies-comg'ravity feed chute, a vertical chute and a track connecting said chutes over which the can bodies are adapted to pass, said track ha ving: two rails, one of which is elevated progressively relatively to the. other to thereby tilt the can bodies, and timing mechanism for spacing the can bodies as they leave the gravity feed chute, suffioie'ntly to allow them to pass onto said track and he tilted. one at a time, into the vertical chute without jamming or interfering \vitlreaeh other, substantially as specified. S2. A feeding device for can bodies comprising in combination, a gravity feed chute and a vertical chute, a track located between said chutes and over which the can bodies are. adapted to pass, said vertical chute having a cylindrical portion, and said track havmy two rails, one of which is elevated progressivcly relatively to the other, said rails 1,iss,5ss

terminating at the circumference of the 0)- lindrical portion of the vertical chute.

In a device for feeding can bodies in combination, a gravity feed chute and a vertical chute and means for automatiimlly tipping the can bodies being, i from the gravity teed chute to the vertical chute, said vertical chute ha ving a cylindrical portion prox ided with cut-out section on one side th reof. 7

4'. In a le\ir:! for feeding can bodies in eonihiimtion. a gravity teed chute, a cylindriral vertical chute and means for automatically tipping the can bodies being ted while passing from the first named clinic to the last named rhute. aid means including track formed with the cylindrical chute. said ehnie being provided n ilh a cutout portion on, the side adjacent said track. substantially s sp cified.

5. feeding device for can bodies comprising, in combination, a frame-work adapted to he attached to a machine, a gravity chute terminating and secured to said framework, a vertical chute also connected to said framework and a track portion between said chutes over which the can bodies being fed are :ulapted to pass, said track having one side thereof elevated above the other side. and timing: mechanism for Separating and spacing the can bodies as they leave the gravity chute suti'iciently to allow the same to he tilt-ed into the vertical chute, one at a time, without jamming or interfering with each other, substantially as speci- 6. In a device for feeding sanitary can bodies, in combination: a downwardly extending chute in which the can bodies are arranged with their axes horizontal, and resting on one another side to side so as to move by gravity, the lower end of said chute being turned to extend in a substantially horizontal direction; a track extending from said horizontal portion of the down- Wardly extending chute, one side of said track sloping downwardly relative to the other side; a. canv body guide located at the higher side of said track, said guide turning of? laterally to direct the can body laterally as it is advanced; and a vertical chute leading downward from an aperture,-With which itis formed at the termination of the track and guide.

7. In a device for feeding sanitary can bodies, in combination: a downwardly extending chute in which the. can bodies are arranged with their axes horizontal, and resting on one another side to side so as to move by gravity; a vertical chute for receiving the can bodies one at a time with their axes arranged vertically and their open ends up;-

a track and can guiding means leading from the lower end of the downwardly extending chute to the said vertical chute, and arfed while passing ranged to tilt the cans successively from horizontal to vertical position; and a positive Han feeding device arranged between the lower end. of the downwardly extending chute and the point where the cans are tilted, and acting to regulate the movement of the cans in the downwardly extending chute, and acting to push the cans along and against the said track and can guiding means and to the downwardly extending chute.

H. in a device for feeding sanitary can bodies, in combinat on: a dounwardly extending rhute in which the can hodies are arranged with their axes horizontal, and resting on one another side to side so as to move by gravity, the lower end of said chute hein turned to extend in a substantially horizontal direction; a track extending from said horizontal portion of the downwardly owlemlingl chu e. one side of said trael; sloping downwardly IQlRtiXG to the other side; a can body guide located at the higher side of said track, said guide turning laterally to direct the can body laterally it is ad- Vaneed; a vertical chute leading dmvnward from the said aperture and ha *ing an aperture at the end of said track and guide; and a positive can feeding device arranged between the downwardly extending chute and the point where the cans are tilted by the track, and acting to regulate the movement of the cans in the downwardly extending (-hute, and acting to push the cans along and against the said track and can guiding means and to the aperture of the (lUWl-s Wardly extending chute.

AUGUST M A K UZ JNI ICR Witnesses:

PEARL AnnAMs, Esrnnu A name s 

